Roku 2 XS vs Apple TV

Review of Roku 2 vs Apple TV

A lot of streaming boxes are created and sold in the market. They allow users to stream videos online with a television set. This time, we are going to review Roku 2 XS vs Apple TV to help you out in choosing which one is the best for you.

Hardware

Apple TV only has one model which is priced at $99. It is very compact and has a lot of ports at the back side of the device. The ports include a micro USB port, a microSD card slot, A/V output, HDMI output and Ethernet. It also has a reset button. One great thing about Apple TV is the AirPlay that comes with it. This AirPlay allows you to stream media from other Apple devices. This means that if you have an iPhone connected to the Apple TV, you can easily play music or videos by accessing the files through your iPhone. However, you cannot stream media from other non-apple devices. The USB port is only available for updating the software and connecting iTunes.

Roku 2 XS is a very compact box priced from $60 to $99. It is a little bit smaller than Apple TV but it has a lot of ports at the back. It has HDMI, Ethernet, microSD, and reset. On the side, it has a USB port that allows you to open media from your hard drive. You can access the files from you hard drives and watch the videos with your Roku. However, you will have to take note of the file formats supported by the device. It also makes use of Bluetooth for the remote control. This means that you can hide the Roku 2 XS box and you can still able to use the remote control.

Content

Apple TV offers different channel contents. However, you will have to pay a price to be able to watch the videos. If you want to watch the recent movies, you will have to pay $3.99 or $4.99 if you want them on HD. You can also purchase TV series per season or per episode. One season generally costs about $38.99. Some of the good channels you can subscribed to using the Apple TV include Netflix, premium and standard MLB.TV, NBA and NHL game center.

Roku 2 XS makes use of Amazon Instant Video that allows you to rent videos. The price is generally the same as the Apply TV’s – $3.99 for standard definition and $4.99 for high definition videos. Roku 2 XS also offers more channels including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and Amazon Prime. You can also watch sports games by subscribing to UFC, NBA, NHL game center and MLS match day.

Apple TV allows you to access streaming channels such as YouTube but it also allows you to mirror applications to and from your other Apple devices. For example, you can play games with your iPhone and have the game mirrored to your television. Roku, on the other hand, offers a lot of free applications. Some of the popular free applications that you can access from your Roku XS device include Pandora, Crackle, Facebook and Fox News.

Pros

Apple TV’s interface is very well organized and very smooth. The interface is user-friendly and very easy to understand. It comes with an AirPlay that allows you to expand your horizon by connecting your other Apple devices. Some of the services that you can access on Apple TV but cannot access on Roku include iTunes, YouTube and AirPlay.

Roku has better programming options than Apple TV. It is also more compact and more versatile. You can use it even if your TV is not and HD TV. Its remote makes use of Bluetooth and motion-control. You can open other media with your flash drive or hard drive. Some of the services that you can access on Roku that you cannot find on Apple TV include Hulu, Crackle, UFC, Fox News, Pandora, Break.com and MediaFly.

Cons

Apple TV offers fewer channels than Roku. It can only be connected to the television with an HDMI output and it does not work on non-HD TVs. If you want to heighten its potential and functionality, you will have to be loyal to Apple. This means that you should love using iTunes and your other Apple devices such as iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. You are also limited by AirPlay because you cannot watch other media from non-Apple external sources.

Roku’s interface is not as organized as Apple TVs. The channels are navigated on a single layer making it difficult to find one particular channel easily. It does not have AirPlay therefore you cannot connect another device to it. It can open media from external sources but it cannot support a large variety of file formats.

Choosing Between The Two Devices

Choosing between Roku 2 vs Apple Tv, this depends on your preference and environment. If you are an Apple user and you have a lot of Apple devices, it will be better to choose Apple TV. It will allow you to explore things that only Apple can provide such as AirPlay and mirroring. If you have a lot of media content on different formats and you do not own so many Apple devices, it will better to choose Roku. It has more Internet options and channels to offer. Its small size makes it easy to fit it into any home theater.